guided by voices is one of those bands that is both incredibly prolific and incredibly hard to get into. formed in 1983 in dayton, ohio and masterminded by frontman robert pollard, since then, guided by voices has released no less than 43 full-length albums. pollard has written hundreds of songs for guided by voices alone, and has probably written multiple thousands in total under different bands and names. many of their songs are short, but considering how i’ve only completed one or two discographies-guided by voices is more daunting to me than anything by godspeed you! black emperor or the like.
“Motor Away” is a single from their 1995 album alien lanes. the single itself is a high-quality recording, but the album version is noticeably more muddy-sounding (which is what i’ll be focusing on). in the 90s guided by voices had a distinct lo-fi sound. which meant microphones with questionable quality, audible mistakes here and there, production so stripped down to the point that all you have left is the pure skill and musicianship of everyone playing. the song itself is a two-minute, infectiously catchy blast that could have been very well played at a sold-out football stadium.
i think “Motor Away” is on par with other pop songs made by indie rock bands like “Here Comes Your Man” and “Boys Don’t Cry“, but unlike those songs, it’s just about weird enough to avoid the charts. pollard’s lyrics in this song are somewhat clear, about escape and the consequences of freedom, but are jarring and surreal at times (“Beyond the once-red lips”?). the non-existent production and pollard’s detached vocals give this song a cryptic edge hidden under simple, elegant hooks. it’s a true indie rock song with all the virtues of pop-punk.
q-street 